Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system input interfaces, and more particularly to a projected information handling system input interface with dynamic adjustment.
Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems have evolved over time to fit increasingly powerful processing components into smaller and more portable housings. To support portability, information handling systems typically include internal battery power sources and integrated input devices, such as touchscreen displays that present input devices as images. End users have adapted to touchscreen input devices, such as touchscreen keyboards, however, using touchscreen input devices on a small display is often difficult and unnatural for end users. One difficulty is that small screens tend to have small keyboards with small keys that are difficult to accurately select. Another difficulty is that using a touchscreen keyboard consumes a portion of the display, thus making it more difficult to view content. Due to these difficulties, end users often interface portable information handling systems with peripheral devices, such as peripheral keyboards, mice and displays. Often, end user work stations include a docking station that aids an end user in establishing interactions with peripheral devices.
Although peripheral devices aid end user interactions with portable information handling systems, peripheral devices often have limited portability and, when portable, increase the size and weight that an end user must carry to use a portable information handling system. One solution that provides peripheral interfaces without substantially increased size is to integrate a projector and input sensor with a portable information handling system to project input and output devices. For example, pico projectors are relatively small MEMS laser-based devices that project images by scanning a point light source across a projection surface. A pico projector integrated in a portable information handling system projects an input device, such a keyboard, that an end user touches to make inputs to the portable information handling system. The end user's fingers are monitored with an input sensor, such as a depth camera, to capture inputs at the keyboard when the end user touches keys. Although projected keyboards provide a more natural typing position than an end user typically experiences with a touchscreen keyboard, end user interactions are nonetheless often strained by limitations in the appearance and reaction of projected input devices. Typically the projected input device has a canned response at a defined location that supports little if any other end user interactions or any other devices or objects located on a projection surface.